Fall For You Again
by Spunky0ne
Summary: A nasty fall leaves Victor unconscious and dreaming about being a poor entertainer, bought by rich Japanese nobles to entertain their anxious son, who never, ever speaks. Can he bring the necessary magic to help Katsuki Yuuri break free of his protective silence? Long-haired teen Victor! Lots of Victuuri fluff!
1. Falling for You

**Fall For You Again**

 **By Spunky0ne**

 **(A YOI Holiday Ficlet)**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 1: Falling for you**

A soft, contented snoring sound seeped into the quiet around the soundly sleeping Victor Nikiforov, and he shifted and opened one sleepy blue-green eye, smiling and tightening his arms around his happily dreaming fiancé, Yuuri Katsuki of Japan.

 _Is this real?_

He had to wonder.

 _Because it all seems like a crazy, wonderful dream. Did I really get snared by that half undressed drunken beauty at last year's Grand Prix Final? Then, did I later see him on that viral video? Was it Victor Nikiforov who was so inspired by Yuuri's promise as a skater, his hidden talent that Celestino couldn't seem to bring out of him, that he dropped everything and left his home…traveled to a foreign country and surprised his unsuspecting Japanese blossom by undressing and submerging in hot water to wait for him? Did I really spend eight months in Japan with that cute boy and his lovely family, training him and guiding him to the Grand Prix Final?_

 _Okay, so the dream flickers a little because he won silver instead of gold, but my Yuuri made the podium and proved what he needed to prove. And even though he planned to quit skating after the final, he changed his mind and came here with me. This is Yuuri Katsuki, the love of my life, lying beside me and looking so adorable, naked and wearing only the splashes of our semen all over him._

 _God, I could just die with just how adorable he is!_

He paused in his thoughts, biting at his lip for a moment.

 _Maybe I shouldn't look at him so much. I've already troubled him for sex a bunch of times tonight, and still, I can't tell if it's real or if this is just a dream. Am I alive and in bed with Yuuri, my beautiful Japanese fiancé? Or did I just die and go to heaven…and I've been given an eternity of this, and only this? Being in bed with him and indulging in our love so many times he has to be exhausted._

 _Hmm, but I thought it was me who had no stamina._

 _Truly, Yuuri inspires me!_

He took a peek down under the covers, blushing a little at the size of his reawakened member. His eyes rotated to study his fiancé's peaceful sleeping face.

 _I shouldn't wake him._

 _I'm such a slut for him!_

 _More like his willing slave._

 _I should be embarrassed, being so horny for him that I want to beg for it again right now. I should be ashamed of myself. The poor thing will be too tired to skate with me in the morning._

 _Yes, I should let him sleep._

Victor laid back down on his pillow, curling up on Yuuri's shoulder and nuzzling under his chin as his deeply sleeping partner continued to snore way too cutely.

 _It's like purring._

 _Such a happy sound._

 _Being with me, being here in my bed makes Yuuri feel that way…safe, comfortable, peaceful, loved. I always want to make Yuuri feel that way. He makes me feel all of those things and more. He makes me feel endlessly hungry for him, immersed in his innocent sexuality, lured by his drunken Eros…pulled to him like a moth to a flame._

 _Oh man, I wish he would wake up, so I wouldn't feel bad asking for more sex. I can't believe I can even be hard after how many times? He's going to think I have no restraint._

 _Wait, he already knows I don't, so…that's okay, right?_

 _If it's what he expects from me, his love-crazed fiancé, then I guess it's all right to wake him so early in the morning to ask for more sex._

He opened his mouth to ask, then stared in dismay as Yuuri's hand rose and those graceful fingers dug clumsily into Victor's messy hair, and Yuuri loosed such a happy, sleepy sigh that Victor deflated instantly.

 _He's too cute to wake up just to ask him for more sex, especially when I've already had so much. It's like an addiction, and I just can't stop or pace myself. We have a lifetime, right?_

 _Or is it that I'm really afraid that, now that I'm so in love with him, that…that something will happen, that he'll leave me or…_

 _No, stop._

 _Everything is fine._

Victor grinned as Yuuri's fingers burrowed deeper into his hair, and more irresistible soft snoring seeped out of his sleeping lover.

 _See? Everything is fine. I should ignore that monster between my legs and go to sleep. We both need to rest._

 _Yes…sleep._

He closed his eyes and breathed in Yuuri's warm, sweet scent.

Then, he instantly regretted it as he suffered another powerful twinge in his insatiable loins.

 _No!_

 _Go-to-sleep-now!_

It took some concentration and he had to bite at his lips until they hurt, but slowly his body calmed again and sleep was again possible.

At least until Yuuri rolled away from him, presenting to Victor his delectably naked backside.

 _God help me._

 _He's going to be the death of me._

It was a long time before Victor finally dropped off to sleep again.

XXXXXXXXXX

(Late next morning at the Saint Petersburg Ice Training Rink)

Victor turned and spun on the ice as Yakov Feltsman watched through disapproving eyes, wearing a scowl that Victor always managed to somehow bring to his face, one way or another. He made a soft growling sound as the silvery haired skater exited the spin, gathered speed, then threw his lithe body into the air, executing four turns before coming down to land on the ice again.

"That was a poor excuse for a lutz," Yakov scolded him, "You look sloppy!"

"Be nice, Yakov," Victor complained, throwing his body into another jump and landing slightly more cleanly.

"You don't pay me to be nice!" the older man snapped cantankerously, "You pay me to coach you. But if you want me to teach you anything, you need to move like a skater and not a lumbering elephant!"

"Stop that!" Victor shouted back as he lowered his body into a faster spin, "That's so mean, Yakov!"

"You are in shameful condition!" Yakov seethed as the skater exited the spin and prepared for another jump, "You run off for eight months, gorge yourself on fattening foods, drink yourself silly and you come back and hand me a fat, lazy pig instead of a professional skater."

He growled more loudly as Victor skidded to a stop and glared back at him.

"You're calling me _fat_?" Victor snapped angrily, "Where is it, old man? You show me one place on my body that looks fat!"

"How much weight did you gain there?" Yakov challenged him, crossing his arms, "Should we have you step on a scale, Vitya? If you didn't get fat, then you should have nothing to worry about."

"I may have gained a pound or two, but I'm not fat!" Victor argued.

"Stop running your mouth and get moving. You get fatter by the minute, standing there, arguing with me instead of training that poor excuse for a body."

"Grr!" Victor snarled in an unusual display of temper, "Stop calling me fat, old man!"

"Do you want to argue or do you want to win when you go to nationals?" Yakov goaded him.

Neither noticed that Yuuri had entered the rink and was sitting down and putting on his skates in preparation for his own training.

"Oh, I'm going to win at Nationals," Victor said angrily, "I'll make you eat those words about me being fat!"

"Heh, heh," the old man snorted, " _Fat_ chance of that, with you being in such shameful condition."

" _Shut up_!" Victor steamed, turning back and gaining speed for another jump, "Don't tease me anymore, or I'm firing you right now. I don't need a goddamned nag for a coach."

"Yes, you do," Yakov huffed, "Look what having no coach did to you already. Yuri's going to make a laughingstock of you at nationals, at this rate."

"Okay, now you're just trying to piss me off."

 _Wow_ , Yuuri mused as he finished putting on his skates and moved to the rink wall to lean on it and watch, _Victor was right when he said that Yakov was meaner than him when Victor started coaching me. I had Yakov as a coach for one day, and he was really bossy and insulting. He does make a lot of champion skaters, but he can be really nasty._

 _Still, I kind of understand._

 _I think Victor doesn't understand how it felt to Yakov, when he dropped everything and ran off to coach me in Japan. I think Yakov was hurt by that, and now he's scolding Victor over every little thing as a way of making him sorry for running off like that. I don't think he really means it…although I did notice that Victor seemed to gain some weight while he was coaching me. It sort of makes sense. Even though he was on the ice and working with me, he wasn't working as hard as he usually does, so it's understandable he'd gain a little weight. It's not as bad as Yakov makes it sound, but there's just enough truth to get Victor pretty mad._

 _Victor doesn't often lose his temper, but Yakov can make him do that._

"Run through your short program now," Yakov directed Victor.

Victor scowled, but he skated to the center of the rink and took up a ready position.

"What's up, _Katsudon_?" Yurio said, startling the Japanese skater and making him jump in surprise.

"Oh, hi Yurio," he greeted the younger Russian skating star, "I'm just watching the end of Victor's training."

"Huh," Yurio huffed, leaning on the rink wall at Yuuri's side, "You mean the verbal abuse? Though, Victor kind of deserves it for running off to Japan and not training hard for eight months. Of course Yakov's going to give him a hard time. Victor seriously insulted him in front of everyone by leaving like that. The old man's got his pride to think about."

"I guess," Yuuri agreed hesitantly, "but he sure isn't holding back anything. I don't know how Victor puts up with that."

Yurio gave him an evil little smirk.

"Looks like he's not handling it so well today, _da_?" he snickered as Victor over rotated his quad lutz and swore as Yakov yelled at him for it, "We need to make some popcorn or something. This is good payback for all the times he's given us crap, eh?"

"Um…"

"Don't waste your time feeling sorry for him," Yurio said, scowling, "Victor's a professional who acted out, and now he's getting in trouble for it. I guess he thinks you're worth it, though. You might want to keep the soothing cream handy for the rubdown he'll need later for his sore muscles. This is brutal."

"You're telling me," Yuuri sighed, "I just hope they calm down a little, before someone gets hurt."

"Don't worry about them," Yurio said, stepping onto the ice and skating towards the far end, "Just hope Victor doesn't decide to take this out on you during your training!"

 _I sure hope he doesn't do that_ , Yuuri mused, resting his chin on his hand as he continued to watch Victor skate, _Hmm, his concentration is off today. Yakov must have really gotten under his skin. That doesn't usually happen, because it takes a lot to get Victor mad. But maybe he's tired this morning…and it is his first training session, now that he's back in Saint Petersburg. Maybe it'll be rough for a few days._

"Shit!" Victor hissed as he landed a triple loop instead of a quad.

He covered his ears as Yakov spouted off a litany in Russian.

"I know!" he shouted, "I know. Get off my case, old man! Everyone has bad days, even me! I'll try it again."

"Just stop right now and be sure you practice your basics after you're done with Yuuri Katsuki for the day."

Yuuri winced.

 _Making him do basic training is about as insulting as it gets. Victor looks really mad._

The silvery-haired skater loosed a flurry of heated Russian words that seemed to singe Yuuri's ears, even not knowing what his lover was saying.

"Temper, temper," Yurio teased, skating by his angry teammate, "You always tease me about getting mad and screwing up."

Victor hissed a word in Russian that Yuuri was sure he'd heard Yurio use before, and Yurio laughed and skated away again, executing a perfect quad toe loop.

"I'm going to kill you at nationals!" Yurio laughed.

"As if," Victor snapped softly, clenching his teeth, "I should have stayed in Japan."

He watched as Yakov turned and headed down to the other end of the rink to begin Yurio's training session.

 _Basic training_ , he scoffed inwardly, _I do that, and have done that every fucking day since I started skating. I don't need basic training, and he knows it. He's just still mad that I left, and he's taking it out on me by doing that. I may have eaten too much and gotten drunk a lot in Hasetsu, but I still worked out every day, and I did my own training. I may have gained a few pounds, but he knows they'll come off quickly, now that I'm back. He's just screwing with my head to try to get me to be sorry I left._

Victor glanced at Yuuri, who gave him a sympathetic smile.

 _I'll show that old geezer…_

"Yuuri," he said sternly, "start my music again."

"Ah, okay," Yuuri answered, glancing at Yakov, then moving to the boombox.

Victor set up at center ice again, smiling as the music began and instantly Yakov began scolding him, telling him to stop.

 _No way._

 _You want to stop me, you skate out here and tackle me. Otherwise, shut up and watch me skate, like a good coach should!_

Victor felt a little pleased rush as he landed a perfect triple axel, then moved into a complicated spin. Although his mouth still scowled, Yakov stopped yelling and began to watch more closely.

"Good, Vitya," he whispered, "Now, the step sequence."

"Hey! You're supposed to be training me, not that sneaky little runaway! I thought he insulted you."

Yurio bristled as Yakov ignored him and focused on Victor, watching raptly as the silvery-haired skater executed a stunning quad flip, triple toe loop combination. He moved into a lovely sit spin, then rose up and gathered speed for his final quad.

 _We decided that with my lower stamina, a quad toe loop made the most sense, but…I know I can do the quad lutz, even at the end. It's the short program, not the free skate. My legs are sore from this being the first day back here training seriously, but they don't feel too tired for this._

 _I can…_

He heard Yuuri make a sound of surprise and Yakov shouted out an objection as he set his body in position and launched himself into the air. He smiled at making the proper number of rotations, but as he came down onto the ice, his tired leg collapsed and he crashed down onto the ice, too close to the wall to stop the hard collision that followed.

 _Ow…that…_

He didn't even finish the thought before stars flashed in front of his eyes and everything went black and silent.


	2. God of the Hot Spring

**Chapter 2: God of the Hot Spring**

"Get up, Vitya!" Yakov's gruff voice shouted, "You fat, lazy pig, I don't pay good money to keep your sorry ass alive so that you can sleep around the clock. GET UP NOW!"

Vitya winced, covering his ears and scrunching up his face as he cracked his eyes open.

 _What?_

He blinked and frowned.

 _Is this where I was before?_

 _It's cold._

He found himself lying on hard ground, with just a thin wrap around his slim body, and no pillow. Aches wracked his thin frame as he sat up and studied the area around him.

The old man, Yakov, hunched over a little fire, and a slim blonde boy sat beside him. They seemed to have taken shelter within a clearing in a copse of trees. He spotted the little tent he suspected Yakov had used, but no other comforts. Each of them carried a sack, and when Vitya opened his, he found a second set of ragged clothes and items for maintaining good hygiene. Yakov glanced at him and scowled, pointing an impatient finger at a nearby pond.

"Go and clean up," he said shortly, "You can eat when you get the stink off."

Vitya blinked and furrowed his brow.

 _Has Master Yakov always been this mean?_

 _Master Yakov?_

 _It's so weird! When I woke up, I knew I was with Yakov, but I don't know where we are. I thought we were in Russia, but even though this place is a little cold, it isn't cold like Russia. Where were we going?_

He didn't favor asking the old man, because he was sure that he would get yelled at again.

 _My head hurts too much to argue with him. I'll just do what he says. Anyway, the cold water will wake me up._

He walked into the trees, breathing in the chilly air and pulling his thin wrap around himself as he listened to the birds chirping, and a sort of buzzing sound that he thought might be insects of some kind. He began to pick up a gentle, sweet scent, and sniffed the air, enjoying its radiance.

 _I've never smelled something like this. It's like flowers, but light and sort of alluring._

He heard Yakov's angry voice behind him, but it seemed that he was yelling now at the blonde boy Vitya remembered was named Yuratchka.

 _Better him than me, I suppose_ , Vitya mused, shaking his head.

He turned his attention back to the pond that he could see through the trees. As he moved closer, he realized that it was bigger than he had thought, and where the part of it that was nearer to their camp was cold, he felt a warmth coming off the water as he neared it. He sighed in relief as he no longer could see or hear the grouchy old man that was his master and the thin, cranky boy that Yakov also owned.

 _Yakov owns us?_

 _Strange. I didn't recall that when I woke up. As a matter of fact, everything since I woke up feels strange. I don't remember how we got here, or where we're going. I don't remember what I did yesterday. There are some memories, but it seems like they come and go. And everything feels sort of…distant…unreal._

 _It's so odd._

He reached the water's edge and looked down, then he frowned and reached up to touch the long, wild silvery hair that cascaded from his head, down his graceful neck and over his slender shoulders.

 _I thought my hair was short._

 _I'm so confused!_

 _I'm beginning to wonder if this is real. I mean, I know my name is Vitya. I know I am Yakov's property and we come from Russia. I was a poor beggar boy when he found me, and he taught me to dance. I entertain people and he gathers the money they offer. I stay with him, even though I am old enough to be on my own, because he says I owe him so much from him taking care of me all of these years. Personally, I think he just doesn't want me to leave him until Yuri is old enough to make more money._

 _Okay, so I know all of that, but…why did I think I was older than this and had short hair? Was that just a dream while I was sleeping? I had such nice clothes! I had a house and lots of nice things. I…I think I was living with someone._

He closed his eyes and tried to picture the person, but his head ached strangely, and he was forced to stop. He knelt at the edge of the water and touched it with his fingertips.

 _Hmm, it really is warm on this side. Wow, thank goodness! I was not looking forward to another icy bath. Strangely, I remember a hot shower and a bubbling tub. Where was that? God, it must be that I just imagine things when I'm sleeping. I guess that's just how I cope with the grim reality of being a poor entertainer._

 _Ah, but I'd better get in and clean up. Yakov will be over here to scold me soon. That old man is a very large pain in the ass. But, he has taken care of me since he found me on the cold streets and took me in. Okay, so he's not all bad. He does yell a lot and he hits me sometimes with a towel, though not with his hands. He's not a nice person, but he does sometimes act more gently. Still, I want to get away on my own._

He looked around, and seeing no one within view, he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the warm water.

 _Oh, this is wonderful!_

 _So very hot!_

He waded in to his waist, then up to his shoulders, so that he was warm and toasty all over. He spotted a rock that he could sit on, so that he would remain immersed as he cleaned himself, and he sat down, groaning with bliss.

"This is…so…amazing!" he whispered, closing his eyes.

He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but it seemed that the light was increasing steadily. He opened his eyes and stiffened in surprise as a golden light seemed to well up, out of the center of the pond. It rose up slowly, coming out of the water and seeming to hover just over it. He was sure that the brightness should have blinded him, but strangely, his eyes remained working, and they couldn't tear themselves away from that enthralling light.

Vitya watched raptly as a dark spot appeared in the center of the light, then very slowly, it grew and spread, working its way into the shape of another slender youth, who seemed to have that godly light coming out of his body.

"Wh-what is that?" Vitya breathed, his heart pounding.

 _It looks like…a boy?_

The light remained what should have been painfully bright, but Vitya found that it didn't hurt him at all. He watched in stunned silence as the dark figure resolved into the shape of a young man who looked to be about his age, just crossed over into adulthood…dark haired.

 _I can't tell what color his eyes are, because it's like the light is pouring out of them. He's so beautiful! I don't think I've ever seen a person so lovely!_

 _But…he can't really have the light inside him, can he? So, it must be behind him? Oh wait, the sun is behind me. What is this light, then? Is this not a person at all? Is this a spirit of some kind?_

The light continued to radiate warmly around the youth as he approached Vitya and came to a stop in front of him. Vitya looked into the other boy's radiant eyes, wondering how he would make his lips move so that he could speak. He offered a greeting in Russian, but the youth only looked back at him silently.

"Hello?" Vitya tried, using English.

 _If he's foreign, he might also speak English._

 _Wait, if this is a spirit, can't he understand any language?_

"I am Vitya," he said, touching his fingers to his chest, "Who are you? Can you understand me?"

Vitya gazed into the other youth's captivating eyes, his heart racing wildly.

"I didn't mean to intrude," he said apologetically, "I was…just passing through and I wanted to bathe. Is it…okay for me to be here?"

The boy's lips moved, but Vitya heard no sound pass them. Instead, his felt his legs give way and he splashed down into the water at the boy spirit's feet. He started to panic, sure that he would drown, because his limbs refused to obey him, so he couldn't rise above the surface. But just when he was sure that he was dying for lack of breath, the boy spirit knelt in the water, seeming to float atop the surface. His soft, warm hands touched Vitya's body, and he surfaced, so that he was lying on is back in front of the boy spirit and floating with his silvery hair spread out around his naked body.

Vitya blinked very slowly, trying to make sense of what was happening, but caught up in the enchanting beauty of the youth that leaned over him, looking down at him.

 _So beautiful!_

 _He's like a glittering god._

 _He makes me think of…Eros._

 _Yes, those are adoring eyes._

The boy spirit extended a hand that curved around Vitya's pale cheek, and those hypnotic eyes looked down into his, making the spirit's thoughts clear in Vitya's mind, though he continued not to speak a word aloud.

 _I want to kiss you._

Vitya could have cried when the spirit's enthralling eyes closed, but he was leaning forward, bending so that he could bring his lips to those of the one he held trapped with his powers, in front of him. Vitya felt the softness and warmth of that wonderful kiss all of the way to his toes. He felt the other boy's tongue brush against his lips, and he parted them easily, smiling as they shared a longer, more passionate kiss. And as they kissed, the spirit's hand caressed Vitya's pale cheek, then slid along the side of his throat, tracing the lines of his body, following his collarbone, then exploring his soft, heaving breast as they kissed harder and more passionately.

Vitya wrapped his arms around the boy spirit, holding on tightly as the spirit continued to kiss him, and his hand crept down lower, sliding over Vitya's soft belly, and down onto his thigh. Vitya blushed at the growing intimacy, but he couldn't help parting his thighs to invite his ethereal lover to touch him more intimately.

His breath escaped him as that warm, exploring hand dipped down to caress his flushed and alert nether parts, while their kissing became intense, on the border of becoming painful. But Vitya didn't care. He met those hungry, devouring lips again and again, and he raised his hips to encourage the beautiful spirit's explorations. He didn't even flinch when the spirit's fingers found his virgin entrance. First, they traced, then they slid inside. He thought it should have hurt, but he felt nothing but the heartbreaking beauty of their connection.

 _Yes, go ahead!_

 _You are welcome here._

Vitya's breaths shortened, and he moaned rapturously as the spirit's fingers moved, causing almost unbearable twinges of pleasure. He writhed mindlessly under the spirit's touch, barely registering when the other youth laid down on top of him, and began to very slowly join their bodies. From there, Vitya wasn't exactly sure what happened. He felt a burning sensation all over, as if his body was being consumed, and he was being made into a spirit too. He felt the heat and pressure, then the powerful movements as they made love. And even better, he felt the touch of the boy spirit's mind on his. There were no words, only flash images in his mind. It was clear that the spirit was one with the waters here, and that he had seen Vitya approaching and instantly desired him. He was surprised at the ease with which the lovely silver-haired youth fell under his spell, and he was now as enthralled as Vitya.

Vitya groaned erotically as he felt an impact deep inside his body that caused him such pleasure as he had never felt. And each time that place was struck, it pushed him closer and closer to what he sensed was a kind of bliss that his innocent body had never experienced. And indeed, when it finally reached him, it was like falling from a great height. He screamed in surrender, writhing helplessly against the spirit as they floated serenely on the surface of the water. Vitya felt a scathing heat erupt inside of him, and he screamed again as his slender body quivered with delight.

He lost awareness completely, but felt no fear as the boy spirit's hands and arms held him close. He drifted in perfect comfort, for how long he didn't know. And when he woke again, he found himself lying naked in the shallows, alone except for a tall, long legged poodle that splashed him with water and licked his face.

"S-stop, Maccachin!" Vitya laughed, sitting up and hugging the shaggy dog, "I'm awake. I'm awake."

"You're lucky you didn't drown, stupid," Yuri's cross voice scolded him, "What were you doing, sleeping in the water, anyway?"

Vitya looked around, but saw no sign of the boy spirit that had risen out of the lake. He shook his head and climbed to his feet, then he slowly dressed and walked back to the camp alongside his blonde companion.

"Did Yakov send you because I was gone so long?" Vitya asked, "He was probably afraid that I would run away or something."

Yuri gave him a curious look.

"You weren't gone long, and Yakov had me follow you to make sure you didn't run off or get lost or something. We are in a foreign country, you know."

"What country?"

"Huh?" Yuri huffed, his frown deepening, "Are you all right? We're in Japan, remember? Yakov heard that the noble families pay really well. Maybe we'll make enough that he'll free us."

Vitya gave him a skeptical look.

"You do know that the old man will never free us," he sighed, "He'll keep making excuses, because we earn the money for him."

"Of course I know that," Yuri said sullenly, "I'm just letting the old man take care of me until I find something better, that's all."

"Hmm…me too, I suppose."

Vitya felt a little twinge of disappointment inside.

"Yuri, if you were watching me, then you must have seen _him_ , right?"

"Him who?" Yuri asked, kicking a rock and watching it tumble away, "I didn't see anyone but you, sleeping in the water."

"No one else was there?"

"Are you deaf and stupid?" Yuri asked in an annoyed tone, "I said you were just sleeping in the shallow water. Then, Maccachin woke you up. That's all. You must have been having some weird dream or something. But this is Japan. It's a weird place with lots of strange stories about spirits and ghosts and stuff."

"R-right," Vitya agreed, shaking his head and petting Maccachin as they walked, "I guess I was just dreaming about it because I heard of that."

They reached the camp and found Yakov waiting with their packs ready.

"Did you get clean or just take a nap in the water?" Yakov asked crossly.

Yuri smirked, but said nothing.

"Of course I washed myself clean," Vitya lied, "I wouldn't want to offend anyone, especially foreign nobles. They might just behead us or something."

"Shut up and come on."

Vitya picked up his bag and fell in alongside Yakov and Yuri, with Maccachin on his other side. He looked out, over the pond as they walked past it, but he saw no sign of the boy spirit or the eerily beautiful light that had been in the water.

 _I guess it was just a stupid dream. I'm stuck in this life, and never getting free. Yakov owns me and he's never going to let me go. Ah well, where would I go anyway?_

His eyes lowered and grew sad, barely noticing the beauty of the blossoming trees and blooming flowers all around them. He only saw in his mind, the beautiful spirit that had enthralled him, and he felt like crying at thinking it was only a dream. He walked blindly, ignoring everything, until Yakov stopped them in front of a lovely looking building with sculpted plants and signs written in Japanese.

"This is it," Yakov sighed, leading them to a set of guards that stood at the entrance, "Yu-topia Katsuki. This is the home of the noble lord Toshiya and the lady Hiroko. Both of you are to be quiet and let me do all of the talking. And don't touch anything!"

He reached the guards and bowed, a little awkwardly.

"I am Yakov Feltsman," he introduced himself in English, "I wrote to the household about my dancer, Vitya Nikiforov."

 _Just me?_ Vitya mused, _Yuri isn't dancing?_

"Yes," one of the guards answered with a thick accent, "Bring him this way."

The guard led them inside.

Vitya lost his breath at the lovely, earthy colors and delicious scents that filled the inside of the little palace called Yu-topia Katsuki. The furnishings were less stylish than rich people had in Russia, but Vitya was aware that the Japanese favored a more natural beauty in their homes.

He was distracted from looking around as a young woman approached them, and the guards knelt and motioned for their guests to also, which they quickly did.

"I am Lady Mari," the young woman told them, "Is that the dancer?"

"Yes," Yakov answered, "This is Vitya Nikiforov. We will be glad to give you an example of his talents, if you wish."

Lady Mari smiled.

"We can eat first. He looks kind of hungry. Don't you feed him?"

"Vitya stays slim so that he can perform many moves that would otherwise be impossible. I think you will be pleased with him."

"Who's your extra there?" Mari asked.

"Eh, that is Yuri Plisetsky," Yakov answered, "He is in training."

"His name is the same as my brother, the prince Yuuri," Mari said, "So, we'll call him Yurio."

"What?" Yuri exclaimed, "I'm not going by that…"

Yakov clapped a hand over the blonde boy's scowling mouth.

"Of course," he said, nodding, "He's Yurio then."

"All right. Come this way."

They followed the lady noble to a large room that featured a low table made of fine cherry wood that had pillows around it.

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

She returned a few minutes later with an older man and woman. Yakov bowed and motioned for the two youths with him to do the same.

"Greetings Yakov," the man with Mari said, smiling, "Greetings to you, Vitya and Yurio."

Yuri's teeth clenched.

"This is my wife, Lady Hiroko. You will need to refer to us as Toshiya-sama and Hiroko-sama while you are our guests, as the Emperor is picky about us making people do that."

"Very well."

"Have a seat. Have a seat," Toshiya chuckled, "Mari, will you see if you can get Yuuri to come?"

He looked back at the others.

"Prince Yuuri is a little shy, but some freshly cooked _katsudon_ will surely coax him out to meet you. Just don't expect him to say anything. I'm afraid Yuuri is mute and can't speak to you."

The group knelt at the table, watching as house staff delivered big bowls of some meat and rice concoction that instantly set Vitya's mouth watering and his stomach growling noisily.

"Wow!" he shouted, unable to contain himself, "This looks amazing!"

"It's our pork cutlet bowl, called _katsudon_ ," Hiroko explained, "Go ahead. Try it."

Vitya took a piece of the meat and bit down, not sure what to expect. The bite radiated in his mouth as beautifully as the boy spirit had shined in front of him at the hot pond before, and before he could stop himself, he shouted again.

"VKUSNO!"

Toshiya and Hiroko looked at him questioningly.

"Ah," Yakov said apologetically, "You'll have to excuse Vitya. He's never had foreign food before. It means he thinks it's delicious. It's a compliment."

"Oh, I'm so glad he likes it!" Hiroko laughed.

She brightened even more as Mari entered the room with a young black-haired boy beside her. For a moment, Vitya was reminded of the boy spirit at the pond.

 _But this boy has brown eyes. And there is no light around him. He does look similar, but it's clearly not that spirit._

"This is our son, Prince Yuuri," Toshiya said proudly.

Yuuri's brown eyes scanned the faces of the guests and they locked on Vitya's.

"Yes, that is him," Hiroko told her son, "That is Vitya Nikiforov, who we have bought from Yakov to live here and dance for you!"

Yakov's jaw dropped and Yurio and Vitya stared in dismay.

 _Th-they…bought me?_


	3. Prince's Pet

**Chapter 3: Prince's Pet**

Hiroko didn't seem to notice the dismayed reactions of the visiting entertainers at her announcement. She clasped her hands together, beaming happily as she continued.

"Now, you said that Vitya can also teach the dance steps?"

Yakov looked back at Hiroko with a stunned expression. He glanced at Vitya, who was wearing an equally stymied look.

"Erm, yes, Vitya is able to teach the dance steps, but…"

"That's great!" Toshiya laughed, "Our Yuuri moves gracefully. I am sure he will be good at dancing."

"I like to dance," Mari said, smirking, "You want to teach me too?"

Vitya blushed and leaned towards Yakov, whispering his next words into his master's ear.

"Yakov, are you really going to leave me here? You let them buy me? How could you?" he complained.

"I didn't _sell_ you!" Yakov whispered back, I only rented you, but it seems they got the wrong idea. Just be quiet and let me handle this."

He cleared his throat and smiled at Hiroko.

"Ah, my apologies, but as I understood it, we agreed for Vitya to stay with you, but I did not agree to sell him. I think we misunderstood each other."

Hiroko and Toshiya exchanged glances and both looked at Yuuri, who had moved closer to Victor. Victor gave the prince a quizzical look, then made a sound of surprise as Yuuri sighed and leaned against his shoulder.

"Wow!" Toshiya said, smiling widely, "Yuuri doesn't usually take to strangers like that."

"If he likes Vitya that much, he'll just _have_ to stay. We'll be happy to double the amount of money for him. It's fine."

"Yakov!" Vitya whispered, "you're not going to do it, right? I don't have to stay here, do I? I don't think I want to leave Russia forever!"

Yakov stared at the lord and lady a moment longer.

"D-did you say double?" he asked, blinking.

Vitya's jaw dropped and Yurio snickered, then seemed to reconsider, and he recovered his usual scowl.

"It's no problem," Toshiya answered, clapping his hands together, "Now, let's dig in before all of this wonderful food gets cold."

Hiroko gave Vitya a motherly smile and reached over to pat his cheek.

"You're our Vic-chan now," she said affectionately.

Vitya gulped and his eyes widened.

"I have to stay here…f-forever?" he asked, paling.

"Oh, Vic-chan!" Hiroko laughed, "I think you will love it here with us. We've got a lovely room made up for you and we've had some clothes made for you. There is a studio for you to use for the dance, and we have an agreement with the local ice rink, because our Yuuri loves to skate."

Vtiya forgot his worries for a moment as the last words registered.

"We get to ice skate?" he asked, his eyes lighting, "I know how to dance on skates."

"Oh, wonderful!" Hiroko exclaimed.

"Great, then it's all settled," Toshiya said, nodding.

Yakov poked Vitya in the side and growled in his ear.

"I thought you didn't want to leave Russia forever. Now, you want to stay?"

"I didn't know they had an ice rink I could skate at," Vitya said excitedly, "and good food and nice clothes! Oh my god, Yakov, it's like a dream come true!"

"Well, don't get too used to it, because I am going to be back for you, and when I come, you'd better be ready to leave here!"

"But they bought me!" Vitya objected, "You can't take me away. They'll probably do that sword thing on you or something if you steal me, so you'd better not."

"Don't argue with me, you little brat!" Yakov hissed warningly, "You dance for them and keep the prince happy until I come back, and then you will come with me again, and you will steal some things for me."

"You're mean, Yakov," Vitya complained.

"Shut up and eat now."

Vitya dug in to his pork cutlet bowl enthusiastically, savoring every last bite of succulent pork, fluffy egg and every grain of flavorful rice.

"It's soooooo good!" he gushed, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! This must be what God eats. I've never tasted anything so wonderful!"

"I'm so glad you like it," Hiroko laughed, "It's our Yuuri's favorite as well."

Vitya glanced at the prince and his eyes warmed and his smile widened at how cute Yuuri looked practically inhaling the savory food.

 _He's such a cute, adorable little piggy. No wonder he's a little pudgy, getting to eat like this every day. But if I teach him to dance with me, he'll burn that right off. Hmm, I don't know though. I do really think he's beautiful without changing anything at all. How lucky am I to fall right into this?_

He finished his meal, then walked back out to the entrance to the little palace, this time standing with the Katsuki family as Yakov and Yurio bowed in parting, then walked away. And as much as Vitya was sure that he wouldn't miss things like being too cold, having too little to eat, or having to wear poor clothes, Yakov _was_ the closest thing to family the poor street rat had had growing up. So, he felt a little worried and some part sad because he wasn't sure that he would ever set foot on Russian soil again.

 _But that makes this a grand adventure,_ the youth told himself, _I have no idea what to expect in this vast foreign land. They call Japan the land of the rising sun. I want to know why. I want to know true that is. I want…to know everything about this place!_

"Come, Vic-chan," Hiroko said, taking his hand, "I'll show you to your room and you can bathe in the hot spring and put on something fresh before spending the afternoon with Yuuri."

"Y-yes, Hiroko-sama," Vitya said, bowing.

Hiroko laughed and patted his face again.

"Vic-chan, you are family now. You only need to use our titles when we have a guest. This way to the hot spring."

"I've never been in a hot spring," Vitya said excitedly, "There was this kind of hot pond that was hot on one end, but not the other."

"Ah yes, that pond receives water from the same source as our hot spring," Hiroko informed him.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Hiroko stopped him at the entrance to an area marked _Men's Springs_.

"It's right through there. Just go in with Yuuri. There isn't anyone here this time in the evening, so you'll have it to yourselves."

Vitya blinked and seemed to suddenly notice Yuuri was a step off to his side.

"Oh, you were so quiet, Yuuri-sama!" he laughed, "I forgot you were there and you surprised me."

"You can just call him Yuuri in private," Hiroko reminded him.

"Right," Vitya laughed extending a hand in Yuuri's direction, "Come on, Yuuri. I want to see!"

Yuuri gave him a quiet look of amusement and accepted his hand. He led Vitya through a small dressing room, where the two disrobed and wrapped towels around themselves. Then, they passed through another door that led to a steam filled room with several baths. Beyond that was a _room_ that was actually outside, and a large, steamy hot spring that made Vitya skid to a stop and stare.

"Wow, that is _amazing_!" he shouted, "Yuuri, I love Japan already. Can we go in now?"

Yuuri gave him an uncertain look, but Vitya unabashedly dropped his towel and sank down into the hot water.

"Oh my god, this feels so good!" Vitya sighed, "It's so much better than the cold baths I had to take at home. Yakov has a little house, but he says he can't afford to provide hot water for everyone in town, so we only got to have cold water baths, and he said that it would build character. I think he was lying. I'm not as naïve as Yurio is, so I don't just believe what he says, cause Yakov lies a lot."

He continued to prattle on about the hot spring, the good food and nice people, thoroughly enjoying himself, until he looked up and realized that Yuuri was still standing at the edge of the hot spring with his towel around him. Vitya's head tilted and his eyes grew questioning. He walked back across the spring.

"Aren't you coming in, Yuuri?" he asked, "The water is great."

He noticed, then, the flush that was on the prince's cute cheeks.

"Oh, I get it!" he exclaimed, making Yuuri give a little surprised gasp as Vitya pulled his towel free, "You're a prince and I'm supposed to help you. Is that it?"

Yuuri gave his head a little shake and his blush grew darker.

"Ah," Vitya said, nodding, "sorry. You meant to tell me that you are shy, right?"

Yuuri gave him the slightest of smiles and nodded back at him.

"It's okay," Vitya said encouragingly, "You're just with me. No one else is here…just me, your dancer. You don't have to feel shy around me, Yuuri. I belong to you."

Vitya's friendly smile widened as a little flicker of understanding and acceptance blossomed in the shy prince's quiet brown eyes, and he accepted Vitya's hand in his. The two sank down into the water together, and Vitya continue to bubble and froth with excitement.

"Everything here in Japan is so beautiful and strange compared to Russia," he gushed, "I could go on and on, but you're probably getting pretty tired of me."

Yuuri shook his head emphatically.

"You _like_ having me talk your ear off?" Vitya mused, "Are you sure? Sorry, I just get so excited I can't stop."

He chattered on happily as he bathed himself, then moved in close to the silent prince.

"Would you like me to bathe you, Yuuri?"

Yuuri nodded, then he settled in the shallow part of the spring and sat quietly as Vitya began to bathe him.

"Your skin is so soft," Vitya observed, "Just like the petals of your cherry blossom trees, here. It feels so good to touch. I enjoy feeling this."

Yuuri hesitated, then he nodded and made a sign with his hands.

"You like it too?" Vitya guessed, "I'm so glad. I'm really glad we met, Yuuri, even though I'm a little sad to leave the home I know. I think I can be happy here with you."

Yuuri smiled approvingly.

"Truly, you have some wonderful things here. The pork cutlet bowl, of course, but you also have cherry blossoms, hot springs, kind people. Don't tell anyone I said so, but I also think there's magic here, Yuuri. Real magic!"

Yuuri looked back at him questioningly.

"Shh," Vitya said, bringing his lips to Yuuri's ear, "When I was coming here, I stopped to bathe in a hot spring…eh, actually, it was a hot pond…or a partially hot pond, since one part was hot and one part was cold. Anyway, while I was going to take my bath, a beautiful man appeared. You know, he looked a little like you!"

Yuuri waved his arms and nodded emphatically, but still chattering happily, Vitya didn't seem to notice at all.

"I know it couldn't be you, because well, I don't think you have any magic, do you? And you would have to have magic to do the things that man did. He had eyes that glowed golden, and his hair shined…well, all of him shined with light, really. He was amazing, Yuuri! And he saw me, and he came to me and, well, he…ah…"

Vitya paused, blushing.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't talk about that. It's not so polite. I'll just say that he had a kiss that transcends all other kisses. I will _never_ forget the feeling of his kiss. I hope someday he gives me another."

Yuuri's little smile grew and warmed, and he leaned towards Vitya, starting to move towards his dancer's happily smiling mouth. But just when it seemed he would kiss Vitya, the dancer turned his head to admire the room they were in. He continued his incessant chattering until both young men had bathed, and rested for awhile in the bubbling water.

"A-ah!" Vitya yawned finally, "I'm so tired. I do love your hot springs, but since I don't want to drown here by falling asleep while bathing, I guess we have to get out."

The two exited the pool and returned to the dressing room, where Yuuri retrieved his clothes, and Vitya slipped into one of the palace robes that were stored there. Yuuri led him out of the hot spring area and back into the living quarters. Victor followed him through several hallways and up a little flight of stairs, to a freshly made up room with its own bathroom inside, and a closet full of new clothes. Vitya ran to the closet, staring raptly at the lovely yukatas, tops and slacks.

"Wow!" he gasped appreciatively, "Yuuri, I've never seen such lovely clothes! I mean, I've seen them, but they've never been mine! They're wonderful! I am so grateful to you and your family. I really can't thank you enough. You're so kind."

Yuuri smiled, then he gave Vitya a little wave and indicated a room a little farther down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Vitya asked, looking a little spooked, "I know that everyone's kind here, but I admit that I'm a little scared, spending my first night here in a strange place. Yuuri, I know! Let's have a sleepover! It's a great way for us to get to know each other."

He looked on in dismay as Yuuri continued on without slowing, to his room, where he walked inside and closed the door. Back in the guest bedroom, Vitya changed into a soft pair of pajamas and walked slowly to the bed, where he tested it for firmness with a hand, then he climbed in and burrowed down into the covers.

"O-oh! Everything here is wonderful and warm," he sighed wearily, "I'm still kind of scared, but I can just run to Yuuri if it's too frightening."

He climbed into the soft bed and turned off the light, then he laid down, burrowing into the covers and sighing contentedly.

"I've never slept in a place so nice," he whispered to himself, "S-so soft…warm…cozy."

He drifted off and slept for several hours before something thumped down on top of him, waking him suddenly and almost scaring him out of his wits.

"Gah!" he yelped, jumping up and staring at the big, fluffy dog that had invaded his room, "Maccachin! What are you doing here? I didn't know you came with us to Japan!"

The dog barked and licked his face as Vitya laughed and petted him.

"All right. All right. Lie down, silly dog. It's time for sleeping, not jumping around and making noise. You'll wake up Yuuri. Now, come here."

He laid down again, cuddling up with the happily wagging pooch.

"It's so different here, Macca," he told his canine friend, "But even though it's different, it's a kind of different that I like. I'm actually glad now that I get to stay here. Yuuri may not talk, but I still like him very much. I just wish he would have had a sleepover tonight, so I could get used to it here faster. Oh well, I can just hug you, and I shouldn't feel too anxious. We can do this, right?"

He took a deep breath and hugged Maccachin, closing his eyes and finally settling. As he started to drift off, he sang a little to himself in Russian. And to his surprise, as he sang, Yuuri appeared in the doorway, tilting his head to show he was listening. Vitya sang softly, beckoning for the prince to join him. And step by step, Yuuri moved forward, as though drawn their by the beautiful sound of his dancer's voice singing to him. He reached the bed and Vitya patted the place on the other side of the furry dog. Yuuri climbed onto the bed and settled on Maccachin's other side, so that they were looking at each other over the cute canine.

"Good night, Yuuri."

Yuuri didn't answer, but he gave Vitya a smile that spoke his mind clearly.

 _Good night, Vitya. Sweet dreams._

And the dreams, Vitya found, couldn't have been sweeter. He dreamt of going back to the hot pond and standing on the shore as he had before. And sure enough, as he waited, the spirit in the depths rose up in front of him, shining golden and wearing the most beautiful smile Vitya could have imagined. And even more beautiful was what happened between them in the sweet depths of those waters.

 _Such heaven!_

 _I truly love Japan!_


	4. Land of the Rising Sun

**Chapter 4: Land of the Rising Sun**

Vitya woke early the next day, well before his royal master, but he lingered in bed, peeking over Maccachin to study the cute sleeping face of the Japanese prince.

 _Yuuri's such an adorable sleeping beauty! He still reminds me of the god at the hot pond, but there's nothing so innocent about that spirit. It's so strange, though. I still don't know if all of that was a dream or if it was real. I guess last night was a dream, wasn't it? I mean, I went to sleep next to my sweet Prince Yuuri and I woke up next to him with no sign on my body that I'd been with anyone. Yet the dream of my hot water love god was so very real, and when I woke I felt wonderfully sated, as though our lovemaking had lasted all night._

He gave his sleeping prince an affectionate look.

 _I should let Yuuri sleep, while I go and learn a little more about this place and the people here. I hear the town of Hasetsu is a friendly and beautiful place with lots of new things to see. I want to see everything while I am here. I don't know how long it will be before Yakov comes to try to steal me back, but I intend to make the most of it!_

He slipped out of bed and moved to the closet, where he pored over the beautiful clothes that had been left there for him. The form fitting black slacks he chose felt soft and moved well with him, and the royal blue silk shirt set off his aqua colored eyes and long, silvery hair perfectly. He stared at his reflection, noting such a difference from the scruffy looking boy he had been.

 _With this clothing, I look like a prince too!_ he mused wonderingly.

And when he left the little palace and walked along the streets of Hasetsu, greeting the friendly people he met there, he felt like royalty.

 _They all seem to know who I am, but even though they know that yesterday I was a little Russian vagabond, today they treat me like one of their own. Such wonderful people in such a magical place!_

 _It's all so beautiful, it's overwhelming!_

He walked around the town, learning his way, and stopping in all of the shops, tasting and trying new foods and drinks, talking to the locals and visiting the sights they recommended. By lunchtime when he returned to meet Yuuri for their first session, he had much to tell the young, quiet prince.

"I tried so much new food, Yuuri!" he said excitedly, "Of course, nothing beats the pork cutlet bowl, but there were delicious fish and rice dishes, chicken and pork with noodles. I ate until I was ready to pop, but I seem to have a second stomach since I came here. I eat everything in sight, but I am still hungry, and everyone out there was offering me food. It was wonderful!"

He tilted his head, looking at Yuuri questioningly.

"Do you like to go out into the town, Yuuri?" he asked.

The prince lowered his cute brown eyes, blushing.

"Oh right, you're pretty shy," Vitya deduced.

Yuuri nodded.

"But," he said brightly, "I have just the thing to help you open up and enjoy outings into the town…and even to other places in the world."

Yuuri's eyes widened curiously.

Vitya moved closer to him, capturing him under the chin and gazing down into his eyes, letting his own aqua colored orbs become soft and lusty. Yuuri's face blushed brightly, but he remained frozen under the spell of his charming dancer's entrancing gaze.

"All you need to do," he instructed the prince, "is to find your inner Eros. I know it is there, somewhere deep inside…in a place where no one has ever seen it. I'll teach you to dance in a way that will unleash your Eros. You want to do that, don't you?"

Yuuri made a frantic gasping sound and closed his eyes. Vitya laughed and ruffled his hair in an easy, relaxed gesture.

"Don't worry, my prince, I'll coax your Eros out, and everyone will see that the Japanese Prince Katsuki is the most beautiful prince in all of the world!"

Yuuri opened one brown eye to peek at his lovely Russian dancer, and Vitya gave him a cheerful wink. He took Yuuri's hands in his.

"Come to the dance studio and we'll get started."

The two headed through the twisty hallways of the Palace Katsuki, until they came to a large room, where a middle aged Japanese woman with long brown hair greeted them.

"Hi, Yuuri," she said, smiling at the silent prince, who smiled back at her and nodded, "What have we here? Is this the Russian dancer we've been hearing so much about?"

"I am Vitya," Vitya said politely, bowing.

"You don't have to be formal with me," the woman told him, "I'm Minako. I teach ballet to Yuuri."

"Is that right?" Vitya asked, "That's good he knows it. Do you also teach him ice skating too? I heard there was an ice rink near here."

"Right," Minako said, "Ice Castle. I don't teach him ice skating, but you two can go there to train, once I'm done with you. Why don't we get started?"

Vitya looked at her questioningly.

"What? You think because you already know how to dance, you don't need some bit of guidance? I'm here to assist you, and to make sure that you understand if there are things that have to be done a certain way here. There are customs that you might not know about."

"Oh, right," Vitya answered, nodding, "That makes a lot of sense."

Minako led the two young men through a battery of ballet warm ups, then watched as they performed the moves she called out. She made sounds of admiration and praised Vitya's lovely form, but she scowled and chided Yuuri on a number of his moves.

"You've been taking it too easy and eating too many pork cutlet bowls. Lift yourself higher off the ground! Float! I said float, not flounder!"

Vitya stopped and moved to Yuuri's side, smiling as he met the flustered prince's eyes.

"It's okay," he said kindly, "Here, just move your hands a little, like this…and set your feet more like this."

He pressed his cheek to Yuuri's, nuzzling him gently as he continued.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you and I aren't in the palace at all. We're somewhere outside, dancing on soft grass, under a pretty blue sky, just the two of us. No one's watching you or telling you what you're doing wrong. Just feel the happiness, the joy of being free and dance the steps, Yuuri."

He moved into position behind the prince and Minako started the music again. And this time, she couldn't hold back a sound of shock as Yuuri's body moved with vastly improved grace, nearly matching Vitya's flawless execution. She shook her head in wonder as the young men finished the exercise.

"That was brilliant!" she praised the two, "Amazing!"

Yuuri's eyes rounded and showed with intense happiness. His lips curved into a stunning smile and he turned and hugged Vitya crushingly. Vitya read the deep gratitude in his teary eyes and smiled warmly at him.

"You see?" he laughed, "Your Eros is so beautiful! That was _perfect_!"

The three continued for the next hour with increasingly difficult dance sequences, and with each display, Yuuri's face lit with more and more happiness, until Vitya was sure that his eyes were beginning to glow, resembling those of the hot pond god he had seen.

 _I've thought almost since the moment we met that Yuuri reminds me of that spirit at the hot pond. I begin to wonder if he is more than he admits. And…if he is more than just a human prince, how can I get him to show me his true nature? I want Yuuri to feel at home with me. I want him to trust me._

 _How do I get him to do that?_

 _I don't think it's something that will happen quickly. Rome wasn't built in a day, right? And Yuuri has been speechless and shy all of his life. It will take some serious work to get him to open up, and tell me if he is more than he seems. I think he is, but only Yuuri can decide whether or not to let me see. I wonder why he is so afraid to reveal himself, if he is that spirit. I must do everything I can to give Yuuri a chance to open up to me!_

The thought occupied the Russian dancer's mind as the two left the dance studio and headed to the ice rink. It was hard for Vitya to stay focused because, even just walking to the ice rink, there was so much to see in Hasetsu. It seemed that everywhere he turned, there was something beautiful to see, something delicious to taste or something different to try. He reveled in the newness of everything.

 _Being poor, I never realized the world held so much to be seen. I love to dance, and I'm glad that Yakov taught it to me as a trade, but there's more to life than just dancing from morning until night. There are so many people and places, food and drinks, so many things to discover! And all of this, I get to enjoy because of Yuuri and his family._

 _I am so blessed._

And if he felt blessed then, he felt even more so as they reached the ice rink and went inside. At the desk, they met a kind young woman who grinned and greeted them warmly.

"Hi Yuuri!" she said happily, "This must be your new dancer, Vitya, right?"

Yuuri blushed a little and nodded.

"I'm Yuko," the young woman said, bowing, "Welcome to Ice Castle Hasetsu. Go on in and skate. You have the rink to yourselves."

Victor followed Yuuri to the changing area, and the two put on their skates, then they made their way to the ice.

"I love to skate even more than I love to dance!" Vitya said excitedly as he stepped onto the smooth, glassy surface, "although…this is dancing too, _da_?"

"Come, Yuuri, please dance with me?"

Yuuri smiled and accepted his hands, and the two skated out to the middle of the rink together. The lights in the rink dimmed, and lovely music began to play, mingling with the gentle light to make a romantic atmosphere. And somehow, their bodies knew just how to move together, as though they had been dance partners for many years, instead of just having met. Yuuri complemented each of Vitya's graceful moves, and together they floated over the smooth ice, caught up in the beautiful music and each others' sure, flowing motions.

"You are a wonderful ice dancer, Yuuri!" Vitya said breathlessly, closing his eyes and pulling them into a dazzling spin together.

They rose out of the spin and he lowered his partner into a slow death spiral. He brought Yuuri back up again and the two performed a thrilling step sequence that ended in side by side pirouettes and a final spin before returning to each other's arms to finish the dance. When the music ended, the two stood, still embracing, as Yuko clapped and heaped praise on them.

"Wonderful! That was so beautiful! I've never seen anything like that!"

"It was so much fun," Vitya agreed, "It was _magical_ , wasn't it, Yuuri?"

Yuuri nodded emphatically.

"The two of you shouldn't keep this to yourselves," the young woman said excitedly, "You should perform in the town's full moon spectacle!"

"What is that?" Vitya asked.

"Well," said Yuko, "it's a celebration of the change of seasons. There is a full moon, and the townspeople gather to share in a huge feast. There are vendors selling things, and there are performances of all different kinds. The two of you could dance at the festival. We could set up and outdoor rink so that you could dance under the moon!"

"That would be amazing!" Vitya agreed, "Yuuri, will you do this with me?"

Vitya missed the little look of worry that entered Yuuri's eyes before the prince smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Then, it's all settled," Vitya said, "I'll choreograph our performance and we'll give this lovely town a performance that they won't forget!"

Vitya was so excited that he couldn't stop his continuous chatter as he and Yuuri headed back to the palace.

"There will be vendors to visit, so much wonderful food and we get to dance too!" he gushed, "Yuuri, I'm so very happy I came to live with you. Thank you! Thank you for buying me away from Yakov!"

He tugged on Yuuri's hand to stop him as they stood under a pretty cherry blossom tree, and he smiled warmly at the prince's curious expression.

"Yuuri, I just want to tell you that I'm grateful to you," he confessed, holding the prince's hands in his, "I never had much of anything, and all I knew was dancing. I do love to dance, but the main reason I danced before was because it was my living, and it was expected if I wanted to eat or have a place to sleep. Here, with you and your wonderful family, I can dance for the enjoyment…and I will tell you that I never had so much fun as I do, dancing with you. You are beautiful and you are graceful. You're so cute, whether you are blushing from shyness or suddenly bringing out your Eros and surprising me. What I really want to say is that…I love you, Prince Yuuri. I'm sure that's not proper, for your servant to be in love with you, but I am."

He paused, looking quietly at Yuuri's blushing face and waiting for some kind of response.

 _But Yuuri doesn't speak, so he will never say it back. Well, maybe he'll say it in ways other than words, but…_

"I…love you too, Vitya."

Vitya's jaw dropped and he stared in amazement. For a moment, he couldn't speak. He stood, gazing at the formerly silent prince and hearing the words repeated in his head until he felt dizzy with the happiness they caused him.

"You spoke to me? My sweet Prince Yuuri spoke to me?" he mused aloud, hugging Yuuri tightly, "Is this some kind of miracle? What happened? How did you do that?"

He extended his arms, holding the flushed prince at arm's length.

"Tell me how you did that?"

Yuuri coaxed him into sitting underneath the little cherry tree, and he held Vitya's hands in his and met his eyes shyly.

"I have…always been able to speak," he admitted.

"What? You have? But…then why did you hide your beautiful voice, Yuuri?" Vitya pleaded, "It's so lovely! I hear it and it's like music, even though you're not singing. Why do you never speak?"

Yuuri looked down at the grass that made a fragrant carpet beneath them.

"When I was a baby, and not yet able to speak, I was visited by an evil spirit. It appeared as a mist over my crib, while everyone around me slept. Within the mist, I could see the malevolent being inside. I knew…that it wanted to devour my soul. It wanted the magic I have inside. And the way it senses the magic is when I speak, it escapes in small bits, and the spirit can sense it. That night when it appeared, it said that it wasn't ready to eat such a scrawny morsel. Because spirits have such a long lifespan, it's nothing for them to wait for one like me to grow up. The mist swelled around me and left a cursed marking on me, then it melted back into its own world. From that day, I knew…that if I spoke, I would guide the wicked spirit back into this world, and it would carry out it's threat. And it wouldn't just devour me, it would eat my whole family, because all of us have some magic in us."

Vitya's eyes rounded.

"It _was_ you at the hot pond! That really happened?"

"Yes," Yuuri admitted, blushing, "That was me…and it was real. Last night, too, was real. I…I hope you're not mad, Vitya."

"Mad?" Vitya repeated, shaking his head, "Yuuri, how could I be mad? You…the hot pond…and last night? It was amazing!"

Vitya stopped, his mind working as he thought about what the prince had told him.

"But, if you spoke to me just now, won't that summon the evil spirit here?"

"It will," Yuuri affirmed, "But something that you need to know is that there is an old wise woman in town who makes prophesies. And I went to her to have her look into my future. She told me that when the time came for the wicked one to return, a pale foreigner would come to me. That person, she said, would carry the magic needed to destroy the evil spirit and save our town! You," Yuuri said sternly, "Vitya, I think you are the one that her prophesy was talking about!"

"Me?" Vitya asked, going paler, "But Yuuri, I don't have any magic!"

"But you do," Yuuri insisted, "Vitya, we have to find the way to unlock your magic before everything is lost and Hasetsu is destroyed!"


	5. White Dove and the Hungry Monster

**Chapter 5: White Dove and the Hungry Monster**

Vitya floated, naked, on his back in the steamy water of the Katsuki family's hot spring, his expression unusually solemn as Yuuri stood beside him, touching here and there on his pale flesh and whispering softly in Japanese.

 _I wonder what the words are_ , Vitya thought to himself, _Yuuri said that they are meant to awaken my magic, but it's been days and there's still no sign of anything._

He might have blushed at the presence of the solemn faced men, kneeling at the corners of the hot spring, chanting softly as the prince continued his efforts, but all of them seemed so focused on their tasks, he felt almost invisible, floating on the surface of the water, with only Yuuri's brown eyes observing him.

 _I wonder if he's disappointed in me_ , Vitya thought sadly, _I don't know what to do! I am trying to keep my mind open and my heart willing. I just don't know what the magic is supposed to feel like, or what it's supposed to do. Yuuri looks sometimes in books and he says that there are old tales that talk about the ritual, but everything is written in Japanese, so I can't read the words._

 _I can't do anything._

 _I feel so useless._

"Vitya!" Yuuri called in a surprised tone.

He hadn't realized that he's started to cry. Large tears welled up in his blue-green eyes and leaked onto his flushed cheeks.

"Vitya, what's wrong?" the prince asked.

The chanting at the four corners of the pool suddenly ceased, and the other men left the chamber, leaving the prince alone with his unhappy dancer. Yuuri helped him to sit up and they made their way to the shallows, where they sat down together.

"Vitya, why are you crying?" Yuuri asked, "Did I hurt you in some way? Have we frightened you?"

Vitya sniffed and shook his head.

"You haven't d-done anything wrong," he answered, swallowing hard, "It's me, Yuuri! Don't you feel it? I don't h-have any magic. I can't help you!"

"No!" Yuuri said soothingly, touching his face gently and brushing away the falling tears, "No, you are wrong! Vitya, you are doing everything you can."

"I am doing everything I can, and still my magic hasn't awakened!" Vitya sobbed, hugging his prince tightly, "Don't you see, Yuuri? I'm not the right person. There's been some sort of mistake!"

"No," Yuuri objected, hugging him more tightly, "there is no mistake, Vitya. I _know_ you are the one with the magic we need. You just have to be patient with yourself, and you have to love Hasetsu and me with all of your beautiful heart!"

"I do love Hasetsu and I do love you!" Vitya whimpered, rubbing his eyes, "I love you with all I have in me. But, what if you are wrong about me? What if I'm not the right one? What if it's supposed to be someone else? And if you focus your effort on me, that other person won't come? What if the monster…?"

"Shh, shh, Vitya, it's okay!" Yuuri promised, kissing his frowning lips and soggy cheeks, "Vitya, please don't cry!"

"Prince Yuuri," a servant's voice called from the doorway, "your parents have asked to speak to you. I am to take you to the throne room now, sir."

Yuuri nodded and squeezed Vitya's hand.

"Why don't you go and lie down in our room? You've been concentrating for a long time. When I get back, we can have a pork cutlet bowl, okay? I'm sure that will help you feel better. Go on, now, Vitya."

Vitya followed Yuuri out of the water, and the two quickly dressed, Yuuri gave him a kiss on the cheek and an admonition to rest, then he left Vitya alone in the hot spring room. He could see that there were guards waiting outside the door to escort him, but he frowned and looked around the chamber.

 _I don't want to go and lie down. I have to know how to help Yuuri and the others. I need to find a way to unlock my magic!_

 _Yuuri said there was an old wise woman in town._

He slipped back into the hot spring room and walked to the fence that stood behind it. He climbed up and looked over, searching the area for signs of other guards, but there appeared to be none in the area. Vitya climbed over the fence and dropped down onto the ground, outside the palace.

 _I'll go and find this wise woman. I'll ask her what I can do to unlock my magic. Somehow, I will find a way to help Yuuri save Hasetsu!_

He hurried away into the darkness, not realizing at all the events that were about to take place. He avoided walking where he would easily be seen, preferring instead to move in the shadows as he searched for the old wise woman's house. It took some time, but after a rather exhausting search, he finally found the little, ragged house the wise woman inhabited. He walked to the front door and started to knock, only to hear a tired old voice.

"Come in."

 _Oh good. She speaks English, so I can understand. I don't know what I would have done if she didn't speak English! Whew!_

He entered and closed the door behind him, then he passed through the entry and found the old woman sitting in the main room of the cottage, warming herself in front of a little fireplace.

"Eh," he said awkwardly, "I am…"

"You are Vitya Nikiforov, the favored of the royal family, and the keeper of the magic," the old lady said, opening one curious blue eye to look at him, "But, you have come here because…you question this. Tell old Chiasa what is in your heart, Vitya."

She studied an array of vials that sat on the table next to her, and she chose several. She put several drops of each into a cup and stretched out her hand to him, offering the cup.

"Drink."

"Uh," Vitya said uncertainly.

"It won't hurt you," Chiasa promised, "No one here wants to hurt you, Vitya."

"Oh, I know," the Russian assured her, "Everyone here has been so kind to me."

"And yet," the old woman said, looking at him with both eyes open, "you felt you had to sneak out of the palace to see old Chiasa. Why is that?"

Vitya blushed.

"I…I felt bad that I could not unlock my magic," he confessed, tears coming to his eyes again, "I want very much to protect Prince Yuuri and Hasetsu. I love everyone here."

"But Vitya's heart is conflicted," the old woman noted, "What are you afraid of, my boy?"

She offered him the cup again, and this time, he took it from her hand and tipped it into his mouth. The liquid tasted slightly sweet and it left him with a strangely muddled head. He looked back at the old woman for a moment, then he collapsed onto the floor at her feet.

"Oh my," the old woman said, looking down at him, "You do have some powerful fears, don't you, dear boy? Please show them to me?"

She laid a warm palm on Vitya's soft cheek, closing her eyes and watching as his worries played out in her mind too.

"Oh," she whispered, "I see…"

 _Vitya stood alone on the top of a small rise, watching silently as the monster approached. He felt Yuuri's presence somewhere behind him and the frightened eyes of the townspeople, who watched warily from a safe distance. He was surprised that, as the beast moved closer, he could hear its raspy voice speaking to him._

" _You…are a fool," the monster told him, "You don't understand anything, do you? That prince? All of those people? They…never really loved you."_

 _Vitya's eyes narrowed, and he put a hand over his heart._

" _You're wrong!" he said resolutely, "I feel their love, right now, deep inside my heart."_

 _The monster rose up in front of him, opening its huge mouth wide._

" _Let's see then," the beast laughed, "See how real their love is!"_

 _The monster surged forward, laughing more loudly as the pale foreigner held his ground, even as he was swallowed whole. Vitya's eyes closed and he focused on his pounding heart, waiting, unafraid for his power to blossom._

" _Do you know what happened to the last person who faced me?" the beast asked him._

 _Vitya opened his eyes and found himself floating in the abyss that was the demon's insides._

" _I won't listen to you," he snapped softly, "I won't believe you."_

" _Will you believe your own eyes?"_

 _Vitya watched in dismay as a vision rose up in his mind of a young man…pale, like him, welcomed into the town as he was, and loved by the former prince of the realm._

" _You see," the beast whispered into his mind, "it's all a lie. Of course they chose a foreigner. Of course they chose someone beautiful and stupid, someone a little vain, who they showed their love to and gave gifts to. They weren't doing that for nothing."_

" _They need my power," Vitya said firmly, "and they will have it."_

" _THEY NEVER NEEDED YOUR POWER," the monster roared in his head, "IT WAS A LIE! YOU HAVE NO MAGIC! THE REASON YOU ARE HERE IS TO BE A SACRIFICE…"_

Vitya sat up suddenly in front of old Chiasa, the demon's words still ringing in his head and his eyes full of tears.

"Is it true?" Vitya pleaded tearfully, "Did Yuuri and the others lie to me about everything? Did they only love me, so that I would believe them about the magic? Is it a lie? Am I just going to be sacrificed?"

The old woman took him by the shoulders, and he froze, staring at her with a haunted expression.

"Vitya," she said sternly, "if you want the magic to work, then your heart must be strong. The only way to release the magic is with a steadfast heart that believes! If you cannot believe, then we are all doomed!"

Vitya felt a shiver of intense fear as thunder sounded outside of the little cottage. Chiasa's blue eyes locked on him.

"The beast has sensed the weakness in your heart and he approaches. What will you do…Vitya?"

He looked back at the old woman silently for a moment, then more tears slid down his face.

I really don't know if the magic is real," he confessed, "and I don't know if everyone was telling me the truth and they really love me, or if they were just luring me so that the monster could eat me…but…I have never been in such a beautiful place. I have never had people love me like Yuuri's family has loved me. I've never had so many people be kind to me. Just to have that for a little while…I would…"

He paused, shivering hard as the thunder boomed louder outside the door. Chiasa gave him a bracing smile and brushed away his tears.

"Have a strong heart, Vitya," she said kindly, "It is your strong heart that will release the magic. You must try to believe in them…all of them. That…is how you will succeed. Go now. Yuuri is waiting for you."

Vitya nodded and ran outside, rubbing his red eyes and shivering at how cold it had become. His hands clenched into fists and even though there were still tears in his eyes, his eyes were strong and resolved. He started on the road to the palace.

Only steps later, a dark shape burst out of some trees at the side of the road, and something hard hit the back of the young man's head.

"OW!" Vitya groaned as he collapsed on his face, splashing down in the rainwater and losing consciousness.

"Why the hell did you hit him so hard?" Yakov's gruff voice scolded.

"Oops, sorry."

Yurio dragged Vitya's unconscious body into the trees and the two lifted him into the back of a horse drawn cart.

"Yurio," Yakov began.

He fell silent again as voices rose in the distance and a siren wailed, back at the palace.

"They're probably looking for him!" Yakov growled, "We have to get him out of here."

Vitya groaned and started to thrash around.

"Tie him up!" Yakov snapped, "Not too tight!"

"Tie him up, but not too tight…" Yurio mimicked rudely, as he grabbed some rope and bound the elder dancer to the inside rail of the cart.

"Yuuri!" Vitya moaned, "Yuuri?"

"Shut up about him," Yurio muttered.

Vitya's eyes opened and tried to focus.

"Ugh, where am I?"

He struggled with the ropes, rolling around and finally realizing.

"Yakov, what are you doing?" he yelled, "Stop!"

"Shut up, boy!" Yakov shouted back, "Don't be so stupid!"

"I have to go back!" Vitya cried, "I need to help them!"

"What are you talking about, you fool?" Yakov scolded him, "Yurio told me what he overheard back there. They were luring you, only using you to feed the monster that's coming. I'm taking you back to Russia. We're getting out of this crazy place!"

Thunder shook the ground, spooking the horses, and they ran faster.

"Yakov, no! Please stop!" Vitya howled, tearing at the ropes until his wrists bled, "It isn't like you say. They weren't using me. There really is magic inside me. I just have to believe in it with all of my…!"

"Shit!" Yurio shouted as Yakov hauled on the reins, bringing the horses to a stop in a hidden grove.

He set the brake on the cart and climbed back to where Vitya was still struggling in his bonds.

"STUPID BOY, DO YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF? THERE IS NO MAGIC! THEY WERE LYING TO YOU!" Yakov roared.

"N-no!" Vitya sobbed, "I don't believe you! I want to go back. I have to help them or the monster will kill all of them!"

"Better them than us," Yurio huffed, "You should listen to Yakov."

"No!" Vitya yelled angrily, "I'll never listen to you. You just want to use me too. You always have, Yakov."

The older man's eyes showed a flicker of guilt.

"But…even though you used me, you were like a father to me," Vitya went on, "You didn't have to, but you took care of me. You weren't very nice to me sometimes, but we did have some fun, and you let me get away with things sometimes. Yakov, it may be true that Yuuri lured me, but I think that he really does love me. I believe that if I trust him…"

"Vitya," Yakov said more gently, "you just told me that you thought of me as a father, and that I took care of you. I'm trying to do that now. You have to put this craziness out of your head. There is no magic in you. If you go back, you will die."

He gave Yurio a stern look.

"You were listening to the old woman?" he asked, "You heard what she said?"

"Yurio, don't!" Vitya pleaded, "Don't tell him…"

"She uh…she said that his power is in his…"

"YURIO, PLEASE!" Vitya begged, "Please don't…"

"It's in…" Yurio said, giving Vitya a sharp look of warning, "in his _hair_."

Yakov blinked and gazed as Vitya's long, silken locks and the young man shrank away from him.

"Yakov…"

"Then," Yakov said, grabbing a pair of scissors, "we will just cut it off. If he doesn't have his long hair, then they will have to find someone else."

"Yakov no!" Vitya cried, struggling as Yurio and Yakov held him down.

Tears rolled down his face as the scissors sliced through his hair, swiftly leaving him with short silver hair, except for a small fall of longer hairs that fell down over the left side of his face. He sobbed piteously, deflating completely as they finished and Yakov climbed back into the driver's seat of the cart. He whipped the horses into motion, ignoring Vitya's heartbroken sobs as they fled Hasetsu. Yurio glanced at the older man, then he moved to Vitya's side and sliced through his bonds. Vitya sniffed and stopped crying, staring at his freed hands.

"Why did you lie to Yakov?" he whispered to Yurio, "Why didn't you tell him it was my heart, not my hair?"

"Maybe I think you're too much like a vain peacock and I wanted him to cut off your hair," the younger boy snorted.

"Asshole," Vitya huffed, pouting, "But, thank you."

Yurio scowled.

"Get out, while you can. And…try not to die."

Vitya gave him a determined look.

"I'm not going to die. I'm going to save Yuuri and I'm going to save Hasetsu!"

Yurio gave him a skeptical look as he slipped out of the cart and ran back towards the little town.

"Idiot," Yurio sighed, looking after him, "I think you're wrong, but…I hope you're right."


	6. Vitya's Magic

**Chapter 6: Vitya's Magic**

His blue-green eyes glaring and his expression determined, Vitya ran through the rain as fast as he could push his slender, light body, heading back to Hasetsu to face the horrific monster threatening to destroy the little town and eat the ruling Katsuki family.

 _I only hope I can get there fast enough_ , the young man worried.

He imagined Prince Yuuri's scared face as he faced the monster alone, and that made his tired legs move even faster.

 _I won't fail you._

 _I won't fail any of you._

 _I love your family, Yuuri. I love the people of Hasetsu, who have been so good to me. And Yuuri, I truly love you. If that means that I am a sacrifice, and that my life must be taken for all of yours to be saved, I suppose I will make the sacrifice…but I want to live._

 _I have everything to live for here._

 _I want to stay in Hasetsu and dance for you, Yuuri. I want to dance with you. I want to eat pork cutlet bowls with you and kiss you under the pretty, blossoming cherry trees. I want to be with you forever. You, your family, and the people of Hasetsu have opened up a new world for me, and I would die to protect that world._

 _I will prove that to you now._

 _Please be okay, Yuuri!_

 _I'm almost to you._

He heard the terrible roar of the beast somewhere ahead of him, mingling with the screams of the terrified townspeople. Vitya knew very well that he would not see Yuuri Katsuki among the ones who were running away. He kept his bright, determined eyes fixed ahead of him, honing in on the position of the creature threatening his beloved Japanese host town and the people who had been so kind to him.

 _I can't believe it was an act, just to make me willing to die as a sacrifice._

 _I won't believe it!_

 _The people of the town are placing their faith in me, and I am not going to disappoint them. I won't disappoint my beautiful prince. My lovely Yuuri._

He reached the edge of town, and felt rumbling under his feet. The beast's roar stung the insides of his ears, and he was sure he would see the wicked creature appear at any moment. But, even though he saw plenty of people running away, there was no sign of the monster, the Japanese prince or his family. It wasn't until Vitya came into view of the Katsuki palace that he could see that the entire palace was lit with a strange red glow, and that the monster appeared to be standing on a hillside, scant yards away, facing Prince Yuuri, who had taken on his godly hot spring form.

"Yuuri!" Vitya cried, forcing his feet to move faster as the beast struck at Yuuri, but was forced back by what appeared to be glowing blue water that emerged from his hands, "Yuuri, I'm here!"

"Vitya!" Yuuri sobbed, "I thought you had left. I looked and looked for you…"

"It's okay," Vitya assured him, as he reached Yuuri's side, "I'm going to stay with you."

He looked up as the beast in front of them snarled viciously and took a step forward.

"I still don't know how to release my power, but…I will find a way to do that. I promise!"

"Thank you, Vitya!" Yuuri sniffed, hugging him, "I was so scared. I can't hold him off forever. Mom, Dad, Mari and Minako refused to leave our home. They are protecting it while we face the beast."

He tried to say more, but the fierce creature in front of them stomped his feet, shaking the ground so hard they could barely stay on their feet. His roar deafened the two for a moment, and carried a horrid blast of fire and a nasty, fishy smell.

"Oh, you're in an ugly mood," Vitya chided the beast, "but I guess if I was a big, hungry beast with no manners, I'd be that way too, eh?"

Yuuri gulped as the beast hissed and spat more fire that the young prince negated with the water that shot from his hands.

"M-MINE!" the monster seethed, glaring at Yuuri, "G-GIVESSS TO MEEEEE!"

Vitya grinned up at the beast, stepping forward to challenge him.

"I agree, Yuuri is delectable, quite delicious, but he doesn't belong to you. Yuuri loves me."

"HAH! That beast roared, firing off another blast that Yuuri barely managed to counteract, "ISSS MINE!"

"Well," Vitya said saucily, "Yuuri doesn't seem to like you very much, and you know, who can really blame him? If you want someone to love you, you have to do a lot of work on yourself. You have such a big, strong body, but you don't keep it clean, you obviously don't brush, and you haven't the slightest idea how to seduce anyone! You're not going to catch anyone, the way you are. You should go home, wherever that is, and work on yourself a little…no, work on yourself a lot."

Yuuri and Vitya gasped as the creature stomped and blasted them off their feet with an even stronger burst of smelly fire that Yuuri couldn't quite negate quickly enough. Vitya climbed back onto his feet, pulling the prince up with him. The two backed up another step together.

"I don't think he really liked that, Vitya, Yuuri said nervously, "Maybe you need to try something else."

Vitya stepped out in front of Yuuri, thinking back to the old wise woman's words.

" _Vitya," she said sternly, "if you want the magic to work, then your heart must be strong. The only way to release the magic is with a steadfast heart that believes! If you cannot believe, then we are all doomed!"_

 _Vitya felt a shiver of intense fear as thunder sounded outside of the little cottage. Chiasa's blue eyes locked on him._

" _The beast has sensed the weakness in your heart and he approaches. What will you do…Vitya?"_

 _He looked back at the old woman silently for a moment, then more tears slid down his face._

 _I really don't know if the magic is real," he confessed, "and I don't know if everyone was telling me the truth and they really love me, or if they were just luring me so that the monster could eat me…but…I have never been in such a beautiful place. I have never had people love me like Yuuri's family has loved me. I've never had so many people be kind to me. Just to have that for a little while…I would…"_

 _He paused, shivering hard as the thunder boomed louder outside the door. Chiasa gave him a bracing smile and brushed away his tears._

" _Have a strong heart, Vitya," she said kindly, "It is your strong heart that will release the magic. You must try to believe in them…all of them. That…is how you will succeed. Go now. Yuuri is waiting for you."_

Vitya felt the monster coming closer, but he closed his eyes and focused inward, recalling all of the good and beautiful things he had experienced since arriving in Hasetsu.

"Vitya!" Yuuri sobbed desperately, "Vitya, you must use your magic now. I can't hold him back anymore! Vitya!"

Vitya breathed in deeply, keeping his eyes closed and believing with all of his heart. He thought of the gentle people of the village, the old wise woman, the friendly vendors, and the way everyone greeted him, wherever he went.

The beast moved forward, closing in on them.

"Stand back, Yuuri," Vitya warned the prince, "I promise, I won't fail you. Please believe in me too, Yuuri."

Yuuri stepped back, tears running down his sweet face as he watched the monster close the distance to the Russian beauty.

"You are a fool," the beast hissed, "You have no magic, little human. They made you their Sssacrifissse!"

The beast opened his huge mouth wide, and Vitya heard Yuuri scream in terror as its toothy jaws closed, and the beast swallowed Vitya whole.

 _It's like what I saw before_ , Vitya realized, opening his eyes to take in the sight of the wild, red abyss that surrounded him, _I know I don't have much time. My heart, she said…my heart must be strong._

And within moments, Vitya began to understand why.

The abyss that he floated in was not just liquid, but seemed to radiate with the presence of the beast. He felt burning on his skin, and he sensed that if his heart did not prove strong enough, he would definitely be consumed. He thought of Yuuri's teary face, of the wonderful Katsuki family, all standing bravely in place, believing that his magic would save them. He thought of the lovely people in the village, huddling in fear and watching hopefully.

But even with those things, he felt the burning grow stronger.

He thought of dancing for Yuuri, dancing _with_ his beautiful Japanese prince, and skating with him on the smooth ice of the rink in Hasetsu.

 _Yes,_ Vitya recalled, _the ice is magical. When I just think of it, I feel the wonderful cold on my flesh, making that burning feeling farther away._

He noticed, too, that as he thought about the ice, his body began to glow blue, and the monster's snarl became enraged.

 _Ah…_

Vitya embraced the thought of the ice, letting it fill him inside as he dreamed of Prince Yuuri and him, dressing in beautiful costumes that matched…Yuuri's the lovely blue of his water power, and Vitya's the rosy hue of the love that flowed from his heart. He dreamed of them meeting on the ice, and dancing together on the ice, breathing in the chill air and enjoying the sounds of their blades sliding across the hard, smooth surface.

 _There is nothing like that sound…nothing like that wonderful breath of cold…nothing like sharing the light and the music while we dance together. I want to live. I want to have the chance to dance this dance with my Yuuri, and I will do whatever it takes to make this dream come true._

He didn't know, but his eyes had drifted closed again, and his body had begun to glow brightly. Pure, rosy light wrapped all around Vitya's slender form, pulsating with his love for Hasetsu, his love for the Katsukis, and his love for the magical prince, who he sensed was crying out his name again and falling onto his knees in front of the horrific beast as the last of his magic was expended.

 _Don't worry, Yuuri. I will love you. I will protect you. I will always, always stay close to you._

He let the love he was feeling spill over into the deep abyss. He was worried that it might not be enough, but no matter how much love poured out of his beating heart, there somehow seemed to be more. Slowly, it filled the empty space, and finally, he heard the wicked beast scream.

Vitya lost the ability to see, and he couldn't feel his body anymore. The only thing left was his love for the ones he was protecting. He felt like he might be falling, but when his body touched down, there was no pain, no feeling of impact. There was only the knowledge that the monster had been destroyed, and that the place and the people he loved so much were safe.

The light around him grew blinding, and Vitya felt a little bit of fear because he couldn't move. He couldn't open his eyes.

 _Oh, did I give too much?_

 _Will it be like the one who the beast showed me in the dream I had at the wise woman's home?_

 _Am I dying?_

He felt suddenly as though he was standing outside his body, and his vision returned suddenly, to show him an image of Yuuri, collapsed on his knees in the grass, just short of the palace, with Vitya's unmoving body in his arms, and tears running down his precious face as he pleaded for his Russian beauty to wake.

"Vitya!" Yuuri cried, "Vitya, stay with me. You promised you would stay close to me. Vitya…vitya, please wake up!"

The hands that held Vitya shook and Yuuri started to fall onto his chest, sobbing inconsolably, but all at once, he felt the Russian youth move.

"Vitya!" Yuuri whispered, his eyes rounding.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Victor?" Yuuri's voice cut through the fog that filled the Russian skater's aching head.

 _What happened?_

 _Where am I?_

 _Was there a monster or something?_

Warm hands touched Victor's face, and smooth fingertips caressed the skin tenderly.

"Wake up, Victor. You've been sleeping for a really long time," Yuuri coaxed him.

"Is the m-monster gone?" Victor mumbled deliriously.

He heard Yuuri give a little giggle.

"You shouldn't talk about Yakov like that. He'll start yelling at you again."

"H-he always does that."

He felt the hand that was on his face tremble.

"Can you open your eyes?" Yuuri pleaded softly, "Are you really finally awake?"

Victor took a deeper breath and cracked his heavy eyelids open. He gasped in surprise at finding himself lying in a hospital bed with Yuuri sitting beside him, looking pale and worried.

"You're awake!" Yuuri exclaimed.

"What the hell happened?" Victor mused, "Wh-where did the beast go?"

"Erm…" Yuuri said uncertainly, "b-beast?"

Victor blinked and shook his head, immediately regretting it as pain radiated inside.

"Don't do that!" Yuuri scolded him, "You have a pretty bad concussion."

"A concussion?" Victor breathed, reaching up to touch the back of his head, "Ow!"

"Don't touch it," Yuuri chided him.

"What happened? How did I…?"

"You were disobeying Yakov and trying a quad lutz when you were too tired, and your leg collapsed. You crashed into the rink wall."

"How long have I been here?" Victor asked, "How long was I unconscious?"

"Most of the afternoon," Yuuri said wearily, "and all night."

Victor gave his anxious partner a measured look.

"And I'll bet that you didn't leave me for a minute, did you, _solnyshko_?" he said, pulling Yuuri onto the hospital bed.

"Ack! What are you doing?" Yuuri complained, "Victor! You're supposed to be resting and recovering. You got a concussion after all."

"I know, but I'll be okay now. I'm awake, see?"

"Well, you're not making much sense, talking about monsters and all. Those must have been some dreams you had."

Victor smiled and kissed him on the nose.

"I was dreaming about you…about us," he chuckled, "so it wasn't so bad, being unconscious and doing that."

"Well, it wasn't so fun for me," Yuuri said, pouting, "I sat up all night, worrying about you."

"Poor thing," Victor said, hugging Yuuri and petting his hair, "Why don't you rest for awhile now."

"But, you just woke up, and…"

"Shh, be quiet now," Victor said sternly, "You took care of me all yesterday afternoon and all last night, let me take care of you. Close your eyes, Yuuri."

Yuuri sighed.

"I am really sleepy," he confessed.

"Good, then you'll go right to sleep if I tell you a story, won't you?"

"I…I guess," Yuuri yawned, blinking.

"Okay," Victor said, holding Yuuri against him, "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, magical, katsudon loving prince, who lived in Hasetsu…"

 **The End**


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